


Mozart to the rescue

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Loss, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 15:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11626197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: What is Mozzie willing to sacrifice to save Peter?





	Mozart to the rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sheenianni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheenianni/gifts).



> This fic was written to fill the ‘sacrifice’ square on my H/C Bingo card. Prompt was given by Sheenianni who asked for Mozzie giving up his teddy bear and getting it back damaged.

‘What does the bull want?’ Neal asks Mozzie.

They need intel and they need it fast. Peter has been taken during an op and Neal recognized one of the men while they dragged Peter into the van. It shouldn´t be too difficult to get the intel where they are keeping Peter. Kidnapping a federal agent must leave some stir in the underworld. The White Collar team is following their leads, but Neal knows he can find Peter through their street contacts. When Mozzie doesn´t respond, Neal looks up from the laptop in front of him.

‘Mozz?’

‘I will take care of it, don´t worry about it.’ Mozzie snaps.

Neal is confused, this is so not Mozzie. Something is amiss.

‘You sure?’

‘I said I would handle it. I will get your Suit back. Just keep your telephone on. The bull will call you with the location.’

‘Thanks Mozz. I really appreciate it.’

‘Yeah yeah, the Suit may better appreciate it.’

That said, Mozzie leaves the apartment and Neal readies himself to go into the office where Peter´s team is working round the clock to find him. He decides to take a cab, it will be quicker than walking or catching a bus.

When he arrives on the twenty first floor, Diana gestures to him to come up to the conference room.

‘Any news?’

‘Nothing, did your street contacts come up with something?’

‘I´m working on it as we speak, I´m expecting a call, so you better assemble a team.’

‘Is the info legit?’

Neal nods, ‘Yes, it is.’

Two hours later, Neal´s phone chimes. He answers it without saying anything. He acknowledges however calls him and ends the call.

‘They are keeping Peter in an apartment at these coordinates.’

Neal scribbles something down on the legal pad on the table.

‘The info is good?’ Diana checks.

‘Yes, it is.’

‘Mozzie?’ she whispers.

Neal nods while they head down to the cars.

 

* *  *

‘Mozzie came through.’ Diana smiles.

Neal feels the same relief. The address turned out to be correct and a SWAT team got in and extracted Peter without additional damage or injury. Peter is exhausted, he is pale and a bit shaken, but except for a couple of bruises and scrapes, he appears fine. He is taken to hospital to be checked out, but the EMT´s are fairly positive he was lucky and he will be able to leave the hospital after the check up.

Peter asks not to contact Elizabeth, he wants to call her himself. Diana and Neal nods while the doors are closed and the ambulance leaves. Neal is watching everything being taken into evidence before Diana drives him back to June`s.

Somewhere during the night, Neal can hear Mozzie coming up the stairs. He goes straight to Neal´s wine collection and opens a bottle of his best.

‘Hi Mozzie. Thanks. Peter is safe.’ Neal says while getting up from his bead, putting on a robe.

‘I know, Elizabeth called me.’

Mozzie pours himself a second big glass. He looks sad.

‘Are you alright?’

‘Yeah, it was a victory for the feds. I can´t believe we came this far, or better stooped this low.’ Mozzie says with a snort.

‘You saved Peter´s life.’

‘Yeah, well, let´s leave it at that, shall we?’

‘What did the Bull want for the information?’

Neal can´t say what flashes across Mozzie´s face, anger, sadness, regret. Mozzie takes a large gulp of his wine and walks up to the easel.

‘You need to work on your pointillism, it is not up to par.’

Neal understands Mozzie´s deflection and starts some banter in which Mozzie happily engages.

 

* *  *

 

‘Neal!’

Neal looks up to see Peter giving him the double finger pointed call. He gets up and walks to Peter´s office.

‘Yes?’

‘We are working on a case with Ruiz and they have busted some fence, named Frankie Oxen. He has some paintings in storage and we need someone to authenticate them.’

Neal can conceal the fact that he knows the Bull. Maybe it is good that he is been taken of the streets. He still doesn´t know what Mozzie had to do to get the information.

‘Sure no problem. When are we leaving?’

‘Now, let´s go.’

They drive up to the house and Peter guides Neal under the police tape. Neal studies Peter, he still moves a bit stiffly, probably because of the hours spent restrained on a cold floor. Neal refocuses his attention to the case at hand. There are boxes of stuff. The paintings they want Neal to check out are placed under direct lighting. Neal takes out his white cotton gloves and jeweler´s loupe and does what he does best. It doesn´t take him long to verify the paintings as authentic, he can even tell them from which collection they come. He straightens and while Peter talks to the agent in charge, Neal looks around. He stops death in his tracks when his eye catches something. He walks towards a garbage bag and grabs the old teddy bear sticking out. It is Mozart.

Neal swallows. So that is what Mozzie had to give up, no wonder he didn´t want to talk about it. Neal checks out the old bear and it is clear that they thought Mozzie hid something inside, because they cut open poor little Mozart´s belly.

‘Isn´t that Mozzie´s bear?’

Neal can hear the surprise in Peter´s voice.

‘Yeah, it is. Look, I know this…’

‘No, it is fine, I will talk to the ERT guys. It is obvious there is nothing inside. I will have him documented and then we can give him back.’

Neal nods. He isn´t sure how Mozzie will take Mozart´s gutting.

‘Why don´t we stop by some craft store and get some stuffing and ask if El can fix him?’

‘That would be great.’

After everything is taken care of, Peter stops at the first craft shop they find. The shop clerk presents them with two stuffing options, a cheap synthetic stuffing and a more expensive wool filling. Peter without hesitation picks the wool. He also buys a special needle and matching thread and then they are on their way home, but not before picking up some Thai take out for dinner.

When they enter Peter´s house, Satchmo welcomes the two men.

‘Hon, we’re home!’ Peter hollers.

‘Coming!’ El calls back from upstairs.

While Elizabeth descends the stairs, she sniffs.

‘Is that Thai, I smell?’

‘Yep.’

Peter is already putting plates on the table.

‘Hi Neal, what is that?’ El points at the plastic bags in his hand.

‘Oh hon, I want to ask you if you can mend Mozzie´s bear?’

‘What´s wrong with it?’

Neal thinks about how this is the new normal where El´s bad ass FBI agent husband asks her to mend some adult con´s teddy bear and all she asks is what is wrong with it.

‘It sort of got gutted.’ Peter says seriously, ‘but I bought stuffing and matching thread.’

Peter shows her the supplies he bought and she examines it carefully.

‘I should be able to fix it, but let´s eat first before the food gets cold.’

 

* *  *

 

‘Can you call Mozzie?’ Peter asks Neal, ‘the last number I have is probably already tossed.’

Neal smiles, ‘One hundred percent sure.’

‘Mozzie, can you come over to the Burkes? OK. See you in a bit.’

Five minutes later, Mozzie´s rhythmic knock on the door alerts Satchmo.

‘Where you in the neighborhood?’ Peter asks surprised.

‘You will never know, suit. What is so urgent that you had Neal call me?’

‘I have something I believe belongs to you.’

Peter hands over the meticulously mended teddy bear. Mozzie studies Mozart in silence.

‘The bull gutted Mozart but Peter and El tried to sew him back up.’ Neal explains.

‘I can see it was done with love. Thank you.’ Emotion creeping into Mozzie´s voice.

Peter steps forward and extends his hand.

‘Neal told me what you did, it was the least we could do. Thank you.’

‘Thank you, that was a nice thing to do… for a suit.’

 


End file.
